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One thing that you can be sure of about people who are conscious about their looks is that they are going to do their best in making themselves look the best. When it comes to making your appearance better by applying makeup or manicuring your nails, people do not hold back.
That is the reason why every small part of the body gets a lot of attention and the nails are no different. The nails get cleaned, they get filed, they get painted. Just anything that makes them look beautiful and one such thing that can do that is the glass nail files.
Glass Nail Files, also known as Crystal Nail File is quite popular among make-up enthusiasts or you can say people who love caring about their nails a lot. The world of fashion is expanding and on a daily basis, we can counter with unique makeup products.
But I don’t know whether to include it in makeup or not, anyway, a glass nail file is used to shape the nail, smooth it and you can make the shape you desire. Now, I know some of you who just knew about this file will react like, why are we using this particular file only? There are a lot of other types of files in the market to use.
But let’s not judge this from here, we will point out some interesting facts and will compare them with other nail files too, as this is just the product, hence, we are allowed to compare, only humans are an exception to that.
So let’s get started and find out what is a glass nail file, what are the different types of nail files, the advantages of these files as well as comparing it with Emery Board and answer some questions which get asked frequently when it comes to this product.
What Is A Glass Nail File?
Glass nail files are basically nail files that are made from an abrasive glass surface. This surface is used to grind on the edges of the nails and in doing so, it gives a different shape to the nails and files away some excessive nail length that you did not want on your fingers.
These files are obviously used in manicures and pedicures after the nail clippers have done their work of trimming the nails. These files made for the care of fingernails are made from Czech glass and while it is being manufactured, it is tempered using the traditional methods from the Bohemian glaziers.
It is because of that that these glass nail files develop a unique resistance to wear. These nail files made from tempered glass are so durable that they would not get affected even if you dropped them on the floor a lot or even if you used them every day. It is even safe to touch the file if it accidentally breaks sometimes.
How Is The Glass Nail File Made?
In the year 1997, Dalibor Blažek from Blažek Glass s.r.o company invented a new way of making nail files, which was using the hardened Bohemian glass. This is called Czech glass because it was invented in the Czech Republic.
By making the glass files using the hardened glass, it was made sure that the thermal hardening would have a lot of positive effects on the files as it would become an excellent shock-proof substance and a very long-lasting product.
As I mentioned before, a glass nail file is made from Czech glass and it is a very hard glass that does not break easily or gets worn. The manufacturing process of the nail files is pretty simple.
It starts with the manufacturing of a glass sheet of a certain size with a smooth surface and then, nail files are cut out of these sheets. After that, the processing of the glass surface is done and chemical etching is done so that we get a fine-grained abrasive glass surface that can easily file the nails.
After the surface is made, the edges of the blades are made safer for use by turning so that someone does not accidentally injure themselves while using or handling these nail files. This is followed by the thermal tempering of glass so that it gets a firm structure and does not break easily.
After all that is done, you can say the manufacturing process is over and only the decoration of the nail files is left. After the decoration comes the coloring part which is done by thermal processing which fixes the colors on the file.
There are more ways of decorating these nail files like decorating them by hand or engraving them or incrusting them with crystals. But these ways are not very used by manufacturers because they cost more than the usual ones but if you are ready to loosen your purse for a well-decorated glass nail file, then go for it.
Types of Glass Nail File
The Glass nail files come in a few types and sizes. Basically, they are of 2 sizes but sometimes more sizes than these can be found as well. The basic sizes of glass files are the smallest and the largest glass files. The smallest glass file is 70mm long and 2mm thick whereas the largest glass files are 195mm long and 3 to 6 mm thick.
If you see someone using one of the largest glass files then they are using it for a pedicure. A lot of glass files are produced for daily usage and these are the smaller ones usually. So if you want a very durable and long lasting file, buy these.
These files also come with the advantage of having only one working side which ensures that you would not injure your own skin while filing your nails.
Glass Nail File VS Emery Board
Now you must be thinking that yeah, glass nail files are so great, so why are we not using these files everywhere? Why are some people and some professionals still using the emery boards?
Well, the reason behind that is that glass files might be the best when it comes to nail filing but the emery boards are still needed in some circumstances. Let us discuss how these two are different from each other.
Material
As I mentioned before, the glass nail files are made from glass whereas the emery boards are made by gluing together sandpaper and a cardboard or a plastic tool. The glass files get tempered so that they get to keep their toughness and do not break easily.
The emery boards files have an integrity and they even have some mini crystals on the surface so that they provide a bit more grit while you are filing the nails.
The Grit
When we talk about the grit of these two file types, the glass files are more suited for softer nails because they go a bit more gently than the emery boards. For the mery boards, the grit can be coarse or fine. It ranges from 80 to 1000, so you get any kind of grit that you need.
If you have brittle nails then there is nothing better than glass files for you if you want to regularly file them. When it comes to the emery boards, they are known to not roughen up your nails. Emery boards are sussed because they can file the nails faster but you have to be careful with them unless you accidentally file a lot without noticing.
These boards are great if you want to turn your oval-shaped nails into square cuts but if you are going to be using them for just regular mild use at home, you should use the glass files instead.
Durability
If you have held both glass files and emery boards, you would know that the glass files are a bit less elastic than the boards as the boards are kind of flimsy and they can easily peel and bend.
Glass files are very gentle and they are a lot more durable than the boards because they are obviously more strong than the boards. You should buy emery boards if you want to give your nails a professional makeover and otherwise, the glass nail files should be bought.
The Way Of Use
If you are about to file your nails using an emery board, you should absolutely not do it by doing the back and forth motion of the board over your nails, doing that might take away a chunk of your nails very quickly.
It is fine if you use the same motion with a glass nail file though as they are not going to file huge chunks of nail at once. The glass files would not cause splitting or fraying in the nails either, so that is another positive. The emery board requires a buff to be used to smoothen the edges of the nails after use. The glass files provide the smoothness on themselves.
Advantages of Glass Nail File
There are a lot of advantages to using a glass file. Let us have a look at what they are:
Mild care
As I mentioned before, the glass files have only one working side and even the working side of the file has a granular surface and hence, they would not injure your fingernails at all. You can grind and file and complete your work without any fuss.
If you continue to use these kinds of files, your fingernails will become stronger and they will stop stratifying. You will also get a very smooth finish with the glass nail files.
Hygiene
The glass nail files are very easy to clean and disinfect. You can just wash it with warm water and soap and it will be all good again. As the glass files are to be used a lot, these files undergo a process of boiling for additional cleaning which keeps both the file and decoration from getting damaged.
You can just use a soft brush or sponge to get rid of any nail debris or oil in the file teeth. After washing the files, you can use a towel to dry them off before storing them in their original sleeve.
You will also find that a select few glass files are dishwasher safe and that makes them very suitable for cleaning when you feel they have been getting dirty. If someone else uses your file, you can just directly use a disinfectant on it and it will be all good again.
Longevity
As the glass nail files are made from a granular surface, they do not get worn out even after years of usage. You might think that it is a glass product, how long can they last? But the truth is far from that as these can go on for years because of how they are manufactured.
These nail files are tempered to harden them. They are made from hardened bohemian glass, a substance that is known to be very durable. So if you buy these glass nail files, you would not have to worry about buying another for years. If you use the original sleeve of these files to store them, you will only increase their durability.
Ease Of Use
As I have already mentioned so many times, the glass nail files are great for personal and daily usage because they are very easy to use and you do not have to be as careful with them as you would be with an emery board.
Using the glass files helps you seal the keratin layers together at the edge of the nails and it prevents peeling and chipping of the nails altogether. You can use these files in both directions.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a number of doubts related to using the glass files. These questions are about how you can use them or whether these files get dull over time, etc. I am going to be clearing away all your doubts relating to all those things, so read ahead.
How To Use Glass Nail Files?
If you have ever used a nail file before, then you would have no difficulty in using a glass file either. The basics are the same. For using the glass files, you will first have to clip your nails to give it a shape using a clipper. Make sure you start from the sides and then get to the middle.
After you are done clipping, get the glass file and a board and start filing your nails as you desire and shape them accurately. Glass nail files are something which would not give you the disadvantage of having to file in only one direction. You can file in both directions and there would be no breakage of your nails or shards flying here and there.
You can file back and forth using these files as much as you like without any worry about bad finish. Only make sure that you do not apply too much pressure on the nails while you are filing and especially do not do that if you have brittle nails. Filing with just the weight of the glass file would get the job done for you.
How Long Do These Files Last?
A typical glass nail file should last you at least a year and if you take proper care of it, then you would not have to worry about buying another one for a long time. If you feel like the file is losing its grit and not giving you a smooth finish, then probably the time has come to say goodbye to your glass file and go buy another one.
As I mentioned before, these files last a lot longer than the emery boards and you get to save a bit of money as well. Most glass files do not dull easily. Any file that can last upto a year is definitely worth buying especially when it comes with so many advantages.
How Do You Buy A Glass File?
When you are out to buy a glass file, there are not a lot of things that you would need to look out for. You should just make sure that the file is feeling comfortable in your hand and if it is lightweight or not.
Another thing that you need to consider is the price of the glass nail files. You should not buy too expensive glass files, just go for the one that will do the job. If you have a heavy pocket and want to spend money on a decorative file and do so but if you are tight on budget, just make sure you buy a product that fulfills your needs.
Some Tips For Filing Nails
When it comes to filing your nails, you can sometimes still make mistakes even if the process seems very easy. So here are some tips that will help you in filing your nails properly.
Pick Proper Tools
It is essential what tools you use when you are filing your nails. The health of your nails is very important and doing something wrong could cause harm to your nails and hence, you should be always vigilant about what you are doing with your nails.
Before filing, make sure you clip your nails if they are long or uneven. Clippers are very helpful because you do not want to just keep sawing your nails for hours to get them in shape, right?
The next important thing is the type of nail file that you choose. If you need to get a lot of nails filed quickly, then use an emery board and if you need finer finish or you want to just smoothen your nails on a regular basis, go for the glass nail files. Do keep your nail files clean at all times.
If you have frayed nails and you want to prevent any damage from happening to your nails then using nail oil or cuticle oil will be a great idea. So if you make use of proper clippers, files, and oil, your nails are not going to experience bad days ever.
For Short Nails
One of the things that you should keep in mind if you are going to file short nails is that you do not need to clip your already short nails. If the nails are uneven then you can clip them, but if they are short and in a good shape, do not clip them, just start filing away.
To get the best results, start by filing on the edges first and then move to the centre of the nails and make sure that if you are using an emery board, you do not file back and forth but only in one direction. Make sure you do not file too fast if your nails are short as that can create issues with your skin when the file starts touching it.
For Long Nails
If you have long nails and you want to get them in proper shape, you can start by clipping them to get rid of the extra length and bring them to an even size. When you start filing, you can file on one side first and then go to the other side.
To get the best results, hold your nails in front of your face so that you would be able to clearly see what you are doing. You can make a half-fist and keep the underside of the wrist facing upwards and the nails towards yourself and then file them.
If you are filing long nails using an emery board, make sure you do not do it too fast as doing that can take away a chunk of your nail too fast for you to even realize. Be sure to smoothen the nails at the end of the filing.
Conclusion
Using glass nail files can be a very great idea for you and you would thank yourself for buying them instead of an emery board. These glass files would give you a finish that would make you feel heavenly compared to what you were used to feeling before after filing your nails.
Make sure that you take care of your glass nail files properly because that is what’s going to be taking care of your nails for you. If you succeed in taking proper care of it by cleaning it regularly and not dropping it here and there every day and using it only for filing your nails then these files can last you for more than a year easily.
I am sure reading about all those advantages like durability or ease of use or hygiene, etc over an emery board would have definitely swayed you to at least give the glass nail files a try. Glass files can help you smoothen the edges of your nails if you have just used an emery board as well.
The glass nail files will make your manicure last longer than usual. Although one drawback of these files is that they make a weird sound while you are filing your nails. But that is a very small thing to get over, especially when you get a whole set of other advantages along with them.
